If you’ve been thinking about starting strength training for a while, you’ve probably reached a crossroads: Do I need to hire a personal trainer, or can I just figure this out on my own?
It’s a question I hear almost every week. And as a coach who has worked with women for over 15 years, my answer might surprise you.
I’m a big believer that not everyone needs a personal trainer forever. In fact, I believe it’s my job to eventually “do myself out of a job.” I want my clients to build enough independence, knowledge, and strength that they could go it alone if they wanted to.
But that doesn’t mean starting alone is always the best move.
Here’s my honest guide to deciding which path is right for you, based on where you are right now.
The Case for 1:1 Coaching: When You Need Someone in Your Corner
Most women in midlife don’t hire a personal trainer because they don’t know how to do a squat. They hire one because they have decision fatigue.
Between work, kids, ageing parents, and the general chaos of perimenopause, the last thing you need is another thing to “figure out.” You want the decision-making done for you. You want to know that when you show up, you’re doing exactly what your body needs – no more, no less.
1:1 Coaching is likely the right choice for you if:
- You’re starting from scratch: If you’ve never touched a weight in your life, having a coach to help you learn the right technique from day one is invaluable.
- You have “niggles” or injuries: If you have a bad back, dodgy knees, or a previous injury, you need a programme that is tailored specifically to you.
- You need “care-frontational” accountability: We’ve all bought programmes that sit gathering digital dust. A 1:1 coach isn’t there to shout at you like a drill sergeant; they’re there to check in from a place of care and help you work out why a workout didn’t happen and how to adapt it to your real life.
- You want the “whole life” approach: 1:1 coaching isn’t just about the gym; it’s about nutrition, sleep, and managing the lifestyle shifts that come with midlife.
Take my client Liz, for example. She started 1:1 coaching during a really tricky patch – a busy phase at work and a child going through a time-consuming diagnosis. She needed someone to hold the map for her while she navigated the fog. We adapted her workouts to be shorter when she was exhausted and met her exactly where she was. After nine months of building that solid foundation and establishing the habit, she felt confident enough to “graduate.”
The Case for Self-Directed: When You’re Ready to Fly Solo
There is a massive middle ground between “hiring a PT for £200+ a month” and “doing random YouTube workouts.” This is where a self-directed programme like Strength Essentials shines.
A self-directed programme is likely the right choice for you if:
- You’ve got the basics down: You know your way around a dumbbell and you’ve moved past the “am I doing this right?” fear.
- You want the plan, but not the “chatter”: Maybe you don’t have the headspace for the back-and-forth of coaching. You just want a progressive programme to follow two or three times a week.
- Budget is a priority: You want the benefits of a professional, progressive programme that builds muscle and bone density, but you don’t need the direct 1:1 input.
- You’ve “graduated” from coaching: Like Liz, you’ve built the habits and the technique, and now you just need a solid roadmap to keep the momentum going.
The biggest pitfall of “going it alone” without any programme is wasting time. I see so many women either doing random, non-progressive workouts or following overly complicated “Olympic-style” plans that don’t fit a midlife body. Both are a recipe for burnout or injury.
The “Tight Budget” Strategy
If money is tight but you know you need to start, here is my honest advice: Start with the self-directed option.
You can join Strength Essentials on a 7-day free trial to see if it suits you. It includes fully coached videos and a technique hub that goes into depth on every exercise. Try it for a month. If you find you’re still struggling to show up or you’re unsure about your form, you can always upgrade to 1:1 coaching for a few months to get that foundation in place.
The Question to Ask Yourself Today
If you’re still sitting on the fence, ask yourself this: What happens if I do nothing today?
I see so many women wait six months or even a year before they finally get started. And when they do, they always say the same thing: “I wish I’d just started sooner. Imagine where I’d be now if I hadn’t waited.”
You don’t have to make a massive, expensive commitment today. You just need to make a decision that moves you forward.
- If you want the full support and a plan built entirely around your life: Look into 1:1 Coaching here.
- If you want a professional programme to follow at your own pace: Try a 7-day free trial of Strength Essentials here.
- If you’re still too intimidated to talk to anyone: Download my free 2 Session Strength Kickstart and try it in your own time. No contact required.
The important thing isn’t which path you take – it’s that you stop sitting on the fence and start building the strength you need for the decades ahead.